Skip to main content

Tim Cook proves it’s the photographer, not the camera, that takes awesome pictures

Tim Cook
Image used with permission by copyright holder
The camera on the back of your smartphone is probably pretty good, but in the hands of someone who can’t take a decent picture — either due to circumstances or lack of talent — it’s no better than the 1-megapixel cams seen on a feature phone. This was proven by none other than Apple CEO Tim Cook, who in the ecstatic aftermath of the Super Bowl, snapped and posted a picture of the celebrations to Twitter. Unfortunately, it wasn’t one of his best attempts.

Taken on the field, the shot is blurry and out of focus, and outside of it being clear Cook’s on a football field with some other people, not exactly a compositional masterpiece. Due to Tim Cook’s job, we’ll have to assume it was taken with an iPhone 6S or 6S Plus, which is widely regarded as having one of the best cameras in the business on the back.

Recommended Videos

Apple knows this, and highlights many of the astonishing shots taken with the phone on a special website, showing what can be done with an iPhone. However, the iPhone needs to be in the right set of hands to take a great picture. At the Super Bowl, unless it was your job to take amazing pictures, there probably wasn’t a steady hand in the stadium, whether your chosen team won or lost. Surely that would mean the odd blurry shot would be forgiven?

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Seemingly in a celebratory mood, Tim Cook made the mistake of posting the picture on Twitter, and while it was met with some happy replies related to the game, the majority came dripping with derision as they concentrated on Cook’s photographic skills. Comments ranged from questions over whether the photo was taken with the rumored Apple Watch 2 or an iPhone 7, recommendations to buy a Samsung Galaxy S6 or an LG G4, assumptions Cook was drunk at the time, and many uses of the #iPhoneFail hashtag.

Will Tim Cook feel the need to redeem himself by posting a shot worthy of inclusion in one of Apple’s own marketing campaigns? Probably not, but we wouldn’t be surprised if the picture makes an amusing cameo appearance during a future Apple presentation, given the attention it has received. In the meantime, the Internet can get on with posting the masses of faultless pictures it takes everyday.

Andy Boxall
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
I did an iPhone 16 Pro Max and Galaxy S24 Ultra camera test. The results shocked me
The back of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra are both big phones with big screens, big power, and big price tags. The cameras are also impressive, but which one of these two archrivals takes better photos?

I’ve been using the Galaxy S24 Ultra again over the past few weeks and have put it against Apple’s latest top iPhone to find out. And the results are pretty shocking.
The cameras
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Read more
iOS 18.2 just took another step toward its official release
iOS 18 logo on the iPhone 16 Pro

Yet another iOS update is ready, and this one is important. The iOS 18.2 beta 2 update is live, and it's a big deal for a couple of reasons. It's available to more people than the previous beta, and it indicates another step toward iOS 18.2's public launch.

The first version of this beta was only available to people whose phones supported Apple Intelligence, but this latest version works with any phone that can update to iOS 18. Addditionally, iOS 18.2 beta 2 is only available to developer beta testers. There isn't a public beta at the moment, and we have no word on when one might release. Still, it's good to see that more people are included this time around.

Read more
Apple offers free repair for bad iPhone 14 Plus batch with camera woes
The iPhone 14 Plus's camera module.

Over the past few months, multiple reports have popped up on Reddit and Apple’s official product forum regarding an iPhone 14 Plus issue that renders a black screen instead of a frame preview in the camera app. It seems Apple has finally caught wind of the complaints and has launched a servicing program to help affected owners.

“Apple has determined that the rear camera on a very small percentage of iPhone 14 Plus devices may exhibit no preview. Affected devices were manufactured between April 10, 2023, to April 28, 2024,” says the company.

Read more